Reactive distillation for forming surfactants

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for forming furan based surfactants by reactive distillation are disclosed herein. Various embodiments can provide a consolidated reaction process that uses reactive distillation to synthesize oleo-furan surfactant molecules and intermediates by combining reaction and separation steps into a single reaction unit or a number of connected reaction units. The single reaction unit or a number of connected reaction units can include a catalyst bed and act to separate reaction side products at opposing ends of the unit or units.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of forming a surfactant, the method comprising:
 providing a fatty acid at a second fluid medium space within a distillation column device, the distillation column device including a first catalyst bed containing a first catalyst material within the distillation column, the second fluid medium space being above the first catalyst bed and a first fluid medium space being below the first catalyst bed within the distillation column device; and 
 performing an acylation of the fatty acid with a furan-based structure at the first catalyst bed to form an alkylfuran ketone at the first fluid medium space within the distillation column device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the furan-based structure is selected from the group consisting of: furan and methylfuran. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first catalyst material is selected from the group consisting of: H-Bea, HY, Ultrastable-Y, MCM-41, SBA-15, tungstated zirconia, sulfated zirconia, and amorphous silica. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid provided at the second fluid medium space is a fatty acid anhydride, and wherein performing the acylation comprises performing the acylation of the fatty acid anhydride with the furan-based structure at the first catalyst bed. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein providing the fatty acid anhydride at the second fluid medium space within the distillation column device comprises:
 providing the fatty acid at a third fluid medium space within the distillation column device, the distillation column device including a second catalyst bed containing a second catalyst material within the distillation column, the second catalyst material being different than the first catalyst material, the third fluid medium space being above the second catalyst bed and the second fluid medium space being below the second catalyst bed within the distillation column device; and 
 performing a dehydration of the fatty acid at the second catalyst bed to form the fatty acid anhydride at the second fluid medium space within the distillation column device. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein providing the fatty acid at the third fluid medium space within the distillation column device comprises:
 providing a triglyceride at a fourth fluid medium space within the distillation column device, the distillation column device including a third catalyst bed containing a third catalyst material within the distillation column, the third catalyst material being different than the first catalyst material and the second catalyst material, the fourth fluid medium space being above the third catalyst bed and the third fluid medium space being below the third catalyst bed within the distillation column device; and 
 performing a hydrolysis of the triglyceride at the third catalyst bed to form the fatty acid at the third fluid medium space within the distillation column device. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein providing the triglyceride comprises inputting the triglyceride into the distillation column device at a first fluid inlet of the distillation column device, the first fluid inlet being at a first elevation on the distillation column device that is above the third catalyst bed. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 outputting, from the distillation column device, at a first fluid outlet on the distillation column device a side product generated by hydrolysis of the triglyceride, the first fluid outlet being at a first elevation on the distillation column device that is above the third catalyst bed. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 outputting, from the distillation column device, at a second fluid outlet on the distillation column device the alkylfuran ketone, the second fluid outlet being at a second elevation on the distillation column device that is below the first catalyst bed. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid provided at the second fluid medium space is a fatty acid anhydride, and wherein the first fluid medium space and the second fluid medium space are separated by the first catalyst bed such that the fatty acid anhydride passing from the second fluid medium space to the first fluid medium space must pass through the first catalyst bed. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 hydrogenation of the alkylfuran ketone to alkylfuran. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the hydrogenation is performed within the distillation column device. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the alkylfuran ketone passes from the distillation column device to a second distillation column device that is fluidly connected to the distillation column device, and wherein the hydrogenation is performed within the second distillation column device. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 alkoxylation of the alkylfuran to an alkoxylated form. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the hydrogenation and the alkoxylation are performed within the distillation column device. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein performing the acylation of the fatty acid with the furan-based structure comprises direct acylation of the fatty acid with the furan-based structure without performing a dehydration of the fatty acid. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid is a fatty acid methyl ester. 
     
     
       18. A distillation column device comprising:
 a first catalyst bed containing a first catalyst material within the distillation column device; 
 a first fluid medium space below the first catalyst bed within the distillation column device; and 
 a second fluid medium space above the first catalyst bed within the distillation column device, 
 wherein the first catalyst bed is configured to acylate a fatty acid with a furan-based structure to form an alkylfuran ketone at the first fluid medium space within the distillation column device. 
 
     
     
       19. The device of  claim 18 , wherein the fatty acid is a fatty acid anhydride, and further comprising:
 a second catalyst bed containing a second catalyst material within the distillation column device, the second catalyst material being different than the first catalyst material; and 
 a third fluid medium space above the second catalyst bed, the second fluid medium space below the second catalyst bed, 
 wherein the second catalyst bed is configured to dehydrate the fatty acid to form the fatty acid anhydride at the second fluid medium space within the distillation column device. 
 
     
     
       20. The device of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a third catalyst bed containing a third catalyst material within the distillation column device, the third catalyst material being different than the first catalyst material and the second catalyst material; 
 a fourth fluid medium space above the third catalyst bed, the third fluid medium space below the third catalyst bed, wherein the third catalyst bed is configured to hydrolyze a triglyceride to form the fatty acid at the third fluid medium space within the distillation column device; 
 a first fluid inlet to the fourth fluid medium space of the distillation column device, the first fluid inlet being at an elevation on the distillation column device that is above the third catalyst bed; 
 a first fluid outlet from the fourth fluid medium space of the distillation column device, the first fluid outlet being at an elevation on the distillation column device that is above the third catalyst bed; and 
 a second fluid outlet from the first fluid medium space of the distillation column device, the second fluid outlet being at an elevation on the distillation column device that is below the first catalyst bed.